In the 1930s and 1940s, Walt Disney and his daughters enjoyed visiting amusement parks. It was during this period that the creator of the legendary cartoons had the idea of opening Disneyland. Inspired by the variety of amusement parks, he decided to create his own special world of fairy tales and cartoons, where everyone will be interested: both kids and adults. From this began the fascinating and rich history of the creation of Disneyland in America. In this article, together with the See Tickets website, we will dive into the history of the creation of this legendary park!
A Few Words About Walt Disney
Genius was born in 1901 in Chicago. He worked as a commercial artist before starting a small studio in Los Angeles to create cartoons. In 1928, his short cartoon “Steamboat Willie” was released – a real sensation in the United States and around the world, since it was the first to use sound. Such a breakthrough affected the rapidly growing demand of the Disney company. Despite this, it was financially unstable, which was due to the founder’s desire to constantly improve the technical quality of the cartoons. His first feature-length cartoon, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938), took three years to complete and became a major commercial success.
This was followed by other world hits – Pinocchio (1940), Dumbo (1941) and Bambi (1942). Disney was one of the first studios to produce direct-to-TV cartoons, and the Zorro and Davy Crockett series became very popular with children. By the way, on the See Tickets website you can order tickets for shows that take place in Disneyland!
Disneyland: From Small Park to Entertainment Megacity
Initially, Walt Disney decided to open attractions near his studio in Burbank. It was here that the characters of his cartoons were supposed to “come to life”. However, after a while, he realized that the proposed location was very small. So in 1953, Disney hired a consultant who recommended the purchase of a 65-hectare property. These were former orange groves in Anaheim, California.
Shortly after the purchase, construction work began, which cost the creator a fabulous $17 million. Already on July 17, 1955, the park solemnly opened its doors to thousands of visitors. An interesting fact is that at the beginning of the summer people received special invitations to the opening of Disneyland. However, many passes were forged, and thousands of intruders visited the park on 17 July. Accordingly, Disneyland was not ready for such a large audience: drinks with food quickly ran out, a woman’s high-heeled shoe got stuck on the wet pavement of Main Street, and the “Mark Twain sailboat” almost capsized from an excessive number of passengers.
All mistakes and errors were taken into account, and Disneyland soon recovered. Activities such as the castle, Mr. Toad’s wild ride, Snow White’s adventures, the X-1 space station and the jungle cruise attracted a large number of children and their parents. The constant construction of new attractions and attractions, as well as special events, have encouraged people to come to Disneyland again and again.
In 1965, Walt Disney launched an ambitious theme park and resort project near Orlando, Florida. But after 1 year, the great creator died. Walt Disney World was opened in his honor on October 1, 1971.
In 1983, the amusement park crossed the borders of the United States: it was opened in Japan. After 9 years, the largest Disneyland in Europe was created in Paris, and in 2005 it was opened in Hong Kong. On the site you can order tickets for shows at Disneyland Paris. Follow the pinned link!
A Few Secrets About Disneyland
The amusement park is full of mysteries and secrets, but today we will open the backstage for you. And so, what you may not know about Disneyland:
- Wild cats. After closing in the late evening, wild cats are released in the park, which control the rodent population in its territory. Do not worry, during the day the animals are kept in specially designated places, where they are carefully looked after and monitored.
- No chewing gum. The amusement park is famous for its cleanliness, so it is forbidden to sell chewing gum on its territory. And if a Disneyland employee sees a guest chewing gum, he will politely ask you not to spit it out anywhere.
- Motor ship “Mark Twain”. Being on a river trip, you can ask to steer. Be bolder and go to the wheelhouse, where you will be allowed to take the helm, honk, and then be asked to sign in the guest book. In addition, you will receive a certificate proving that you have flown a riverboat with the legendary name “SS Mark Twain”.
- Without a beard. Walt Disney himself believed that a beard is a sign of a person’s slovenliness. He even issued a special law for his employees, which prohibits growing a beard. Today, the rules have become a little softer: now an employee can walk with a short beard.
- Features of “Firemen’s Main Street”. The light never goes out on her. It was on this street that Walt Disney’s office and home were located, and after his death, the light in the windows of the house is always on.
- Aroma system. In Disneyland, everything is thought out to the smallest detail, even the smell of the air. So, on the Main Street it is constantly changing, but most often the aroma of vanilla is felt, and on holidays – mint.
- Violation of the rules on the attraction “Indiana Jones”. Do everything exactly the opposite. If you see the inscription “Do not touch”, feel free to touch. In this case, you can hear a frightening hum or screams.
- Real ghosts. Do you think it’s a joke? We have specially prepared this secret for you for dessert: it is rumored that in the Haunted House itself one can hear the heartbreaking cry of a dead person. The fact is that some Disneyland guests come to this place to scatter the ashes of their deceased family members. And regarding this case, they say that screams are issued after the mother left the ashes of her son.
You can buy tickets to shows at Disneyland at See Tickets. Follow the pinned link!
We can safely say that Walt Disney and his followers managed to create a wonderful place of fantasy, nostalgia and futurism. The history of the creation of Disneyland in America is full of interesting events that helped make it what it is today. Every year this fabulous world is visited by 14 million people. We hope you will hear these cherished words: “Welcome! Disneyland is your country.” Follow the fixed link to the See Tickets website and order tickets for a variety of events, festivals and shows!